It has been the trend as of late to go the healthy route, and the beverage industry seems to have picked up on this. Consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious and looking for ways to get more of what they do want, such as convenience and great taste, and less of what they don’t want, including empty calories and additives. Lucky for them, companies are becoming increasingly more receptive to this. With a plethora of healthy choices to choose from, consumer cravings can now be satisfied.
Check out what alternatives and tools are available to help consumers reach their health goals:
1. Cold brew: the cold brew coffee phase isn’t new, but it has become more mainstream recently. Cold brew coffee is coffee that’s brewed with room temperature or cold water over a 12 to 24-hour brew time. Since it’s made with cold water, there is more of a full body taste with less acidity than regular coffee. The advantage of going the cold route is that bitter oils and fatty acids, including ketones, esters and amides, are left behind. The all too familiar ‘bite’ that hot coffee provides is gone and a smoother taste remains.
2. Earthy flavours: so far this year, consumers have a desire for natural flavours such as matcha, turmeric, dandelion, chamomile, coconut and ginger. Seeking out healthy and clean options will continue through to 2018, with turmeric and coconut being very popular. Turmeric is a herb and kitchen staple known for its hints of orange and ginger, while also reducing cholesterol, and being used to control diabetes with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Coconut is another great option, providing flavour and sweetness, and being a nutritious source of nutmeat, juice, milk and oil.
3. All-natural, clean packaging: the trend towards clean labeling puts an emphasis on clean processing and clean packaging. This includes beverages with healthier, more simple ingredients, as well as packaging that includes healthier materials. Cartons and glass leave out the undesirable chemicals that might seap into the beverages packaged inside of them. In addition, being transparent on the label builds a relationship of trust and honesty with the consumer. Items such as vitamin D, potassium, calcium and iron are more of what consumers are looking for, as well as simple organic ingredients. One type of drink that is starting to catch on this category is kombucha, which are fermented, lightly sweetened black or green tea drinks that are being recognized for their ability to stimulate the immune system and support a healthy gut with their antioxidant powers.
4. DIY: by taking matters into your own hands, you can control what you eat and drink. Making smoothies and pressing juices are just two examples of this. More specifically, juicing is one of the best ways to get all of your essential nutrients in, as you maintain most of the vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals found in whole fruits and veggies. For those who have a hard time consuming whole vegetables, juicing is the perfect opportunity to reap the health benefits. Another trend in do it yourself is taking base mixes and matching recipes for cocktails or lemonades – you can be your own bartender!
5. On-the-go: with how busy our lives can get, taking drinks on the road is one of the best ways to get all of your fruits and vegetables, while gaining energy. Some great examples of this include smoothies and meal replacement drinks. With smoothies, you can literally put anything and everything inside your drink. Options include cocoa, kale, spinach, protein powder, bananas, almond milk – the list goes on. Smoothies are also a great way to use up fruits and vegetables that are about to go bad. You can quickly and easily freeze mostly everything, and just pop it in the blender in the morning and you’re ready to go. For the kids in your life who don’t like veggies, disguising them in smoothies is the perfect way to ensure they get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. And for those that literally have zero time throughout the day, meal replacement drinks are a healthy option for refreshment, energy, immunity boosting, sleep aid, blood sugar management, and more.
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